School admissions in Rossendale
How heavily each school was applied to for September 2026 entry, from the applications and offers every admissions authority reports to the DfE. 7 of these schools also have a published admissions cutoff distance. Sorted by first preferences per place. We don't invent rankings: the order is arithmetic on a published figure, not a view about which school is better.
Rossendale in figures
For Reception places in September 2026, families named the 13 schools in Rossendale first 350 times for 350 places: 1.00 first choices per place, against 1.00 across the Lancashire authority's 472 schools. 3 of the 13 had more first choices than places. For 2026 entry, 2 schools here gave their last places on distance, from 0.80 miles (Haslingden Broadway Primary School) to 2.50 miles (Haslingden Primary School).
For Year 7 places in September 2026, families named the 4 schools in Rossendale first 769 times for 684 places: 1.12 first choices per place, against 1.01 across the Lancashire authority's 80 schools. 4 of the 4 had more first choices than places. For 2026 entry, 3 schools here gave their last places on distance, from 1.30 miles (Alder Grange School) to 3.20 miles (Haslingden High School and Sixth Form).
Totals for the schools listed on this page. Applications and offers on national offer day, DfE; last-offer distances as the council published them.
Reception places, September 2026
13 schools. 3 received more first preferences than they had places.
| School | First preferences per place | Places | Cutoff distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Peter's Roman Catholic Primary School, Newchurch | 1.72 | 18 | not published |
| Haslingden Broadway Primary School | 1.27 | 30 | 0.8 miles |
| St James-the-Less Roman Catholic Primary School, Rawtenstall | 1.17 | 29 | not published |
| St Anne's Church of England Primary School | 1.00 | 16 | not published |
| Haslingden Primary School | 0.98 | 57 | 2.5 miles |
| Crawshawbooth Primary School | 0.95 | 43 | not published |
| Water Primary School | 0.91 | 11 | not published |
| St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, Haslingden | 0.89 | 19 | not published |
| Helmshore Primary School | 0.89 | 55 | not published |
| St Mary's CofE Primary School Rawtenstall | 0.83 | 18 | not published |
| Rawtenstall Balladen Community Primary School | 0.82 | 11 | not published |
| Waterfoot Primary School | 0.82 | 33 | not published |
| Rawtenstall Newchurch Church of England Primary School | 0.70 | 10 | not published |
First preferences per place is the number of families naming the school first, divided by its published admission number. Above 1.00 means more first choices than places. It is not a ranking and not a measure of quality: a popular school can be easy to get into and a quiet one hard, because places are allocated by each school's own criteria, siblings and faith and banding first, with distance often the last tie-breaker. Applications and offers on national offer day, DfE.
Year 7 places, September 2026
4 schools. 4 received more first preferences than they had places.
| School | First preferences per place | Places | Cutoff distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alder Grange School | 1.25 | 142 | 1.3 miles |
| Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School | 1.21 | 181 | not published |
| All Saints' Roman Catholic High School, a Voluntary Academy | 1.09 | 98 | 2.8 miles |
| Haslingden High School and Sixth Form | 1.01 | 263 | 3.2 miles |
First preferences per place is the number of families naming the school first, divided by its published admission number. Above 1.00 means more first choices than places. It is not a ranking and not a measure of quality: a popular school can be easy to get into and a quiet one hard, because places are allocated by each school's own criteria, siblings and faith and banding first, with distance often the last tie-breaker. Applications and offers on national offer day, DfE.